Saturation Throughput Performance Analysis of a Medium Transparent MAC Protocol for 60 GHz Radio-Over-Fiber Networks

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology 2011-12, Vol.29 (24), p.3777-3785
• Main Authors: Kalfas, G., Pleros, N., Tsagkaris, K., Alonso, L., Verikoukis, C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 60 GHz local access network (LAN); 60 GHz wireless; Access methods and protocols, osi model; Applied sciences; Computer network protocols; Enginyeria de la telecomunicació; Exact sciences and technology; Local area networks; Markov processes; Media Access Protocol; Medium access control (MAC) protocol; medium transparent MAC (MT-MAC); Optical fiber communications; Optical telecommunications; Performance analysis; Processament del senyal; Protocols de xarxes d'ordinadors; radio over fiber (RoF); Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Throughput; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Wireless communication; Wireless optical communications; Àrees temàtiques de la UPC
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2011.2172392

We demonstrate an analytical model for calculating the saturation throughput performance of a medium transparent medium access control (MAC) protocol in 60 GHz radio-over-fiber (RoF) networks. The proposed model incorporates effectively the medium transparent MAC mechanism, assuming a finite number of terminals and ideal channel conditions. It takes into account contention both at the optical and wireless layer, ensuring seamless and dynamic capacity allocation over both transmission media. This model enables extensive saturation throughput performance analysis for the medium transparent MAC and has been applied to 60 GHz RoF network scenarios considering variable numbers of available optical wavelengths, wireless nodes and serving antenna elements and for two different data rate values, namely 155 Mbps and 1 Gbps. Comparison between the model-based throughput results and respective simulation-based outcomes reveals that our model is extremely accurate in predicting the system throughput. Moreover, it confirms that the proposed medium transparent MAC protocol can effectively operate in high-speed 60 GHz RoF LAN environments.